We are only a week away from the February 6 trade deadline, and excitement is building as the likelihood of a star player being moved grows stronger with each passing day.
Among the most likely stars to be moved are Miami's Jimmy Butler and, following recent developments, Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox. But a few other big names could potentially be on the move. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic lists Zach LaVine, Cam Johnson, and Brandon Ingram as the next players after Fox and Butler on his NBA Trade Board.
Trail Blazers listed among best fits for Brandon Ingram
Unsurprisingly, the Portland Trail Blazers aren't listed as the best fit for almost all of the top players on the board. The Blazers' timeline doesn't align with making an aggressive move for star talent at this point in their rebuild. However, one top player for whom Portland is considered a best fit is Brandon Ingram.
Admittedly, it's hard to disagree with Vecenie from a roster fit standpoint. The thought of pairing Ingram with the foundation they already have in place with Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara is intriguing.
Why Portland shouldn't trade for Ingram
But the Blazers currently only have a 7.5 percent chance of landing Cooper Flagg. They should embrace the tank more in the second half of the season to improve those odds. If they don't land a franchise-altering player like Flagg this summer, the 2026 NBA Draft also shows a ton of promise, headlined by BYU commit AJ Dybantsa.
If (and hopefully when) they land a top prospect, it will make more sense for the Blazers to be aggressive in accelerating their rebuild.
The Blazers need more wings, and adding a lengthy, versatile forward would strengthen their team identity. But ideally, it would be a younger prospect like Flagg, Dybantsa, or someone other than 27-year-old Ingram, who is on an expiring deal.
Other teams Vecene lists as the best fits for Ingram include the Wizards, Nets, Spurs, Hornets, and Clippers. But don't count out the Raptors, either.
Marc Stein, reporting for The Stein Line on Substack, has brought up the Toronto Raptors as a potential landing spot for Ingram, referring to it as "the most significant development in weeks" in terms of potential Ingram suitors.
It's great that the Blazers haven't been brought up in rumors surrounding Ingram or any other stars headlining the trade deadline. Portland should keep it that way and build organically through the draft.